Cyberbullying occurs when electronic communications such as text messages, emails, instant messages, and social media updates are used to threaten or humiliate someone. People of any age can be cyberbullied, but it happens most often to adolescents and teenagers. Its consequences can be just as serious as the effects of bullying that occurs in person.

To stop cyberbullying, take immediate action by blocking the bully on all online platforms so they can't communicate with you directly anymore. Try to avoid responding to cyberbullying, since the bully's goal is to get a reaction out of you and responding to them is exactly what they want you to do. It can also help to screenshot evidence that you're being harassed so you can easily report the bully to service providers, social media sites, school administrators, your parents, and even the police if you feel truly threatened.

Keeping Safe Online Dealing with Bullying. Expert Co-Authored Why choose wikiHow? When you see the green expert checkmark on a wikiHow article, you know that the article has received careful review by a qualified expert. If you are on a medical article, that means that it was co-authored by an actual doctor, nurse or other medical professional from our medical review board.

Similarly, veterinarians work with us to co-author our pet articles, lawyers for our legal articles, and other experts work with us to co-author articles based on their specific areas of expertise. Resources for Someone Being Cyber Bullied. Signs and Examples of Cyber Bullying. Look for signs of harassment. Cyberbullying often takes the form of one person harassing another through emails, instant messages, text messages or other modes of electronic communication.

Harassment is taking place if the bully is directly contacting someone with one or more of the following types of messaging: Embarrassing or threatening images or videos. Multiple unwanted emails, instant messages, or texts, regardless of the content.

Lies about the person to make them look bad. Look for signs of public online humiliation. Another common form of cyberbullying occurs when the bully harasses a target by way of public embarrassment, rather than directly contacting the victim.

Cyberbullies may use public tactics, like spreading rumors and gossip using social media, text messages and other tools. Posting humiliating messages on a social media site, a blog, or another public space. Sharing pictures or videos that are embarrassing or explicit in nature on social media websites and through text messaging.

Creating a website filled with defamatory images, insults, and rumors about the target. Look for signs of online impersonation. A less obvious, but equally harmful How to stop cyber bullying on social media of cyberbullying "How to stop cyber bullying on social media" place when the bully attacks someone by impersonating them as a way to bring about humiliation or punishment.

In some cases the bully may create a screen name nearly identical to the screen name used by someone else, then use that name to create embarrassing or threatening situations for them.

Report the impersonation to the website or your service provider. Ask the bully to stop their behavior. Some bullies start out as a friend, an ex, or someone else you know well. Bullies want to elicit a reaction from their targets, so firing back a text will only make things worse. Your best course of action is simply to disengage. Sending a threatening message out of exasperation will only provoke the bully to keep up the bad behavior, and it may get you in trouble, too.

Save the evidence of cyberbullying. Screenshot or save every email, text, instant message, social-media post, and any other evidence of cyberbullying that you come across.

Record the time and date that each message was sent. Block the bully on all online platforms. Delete the person from your email contacts and block instant messaging communication. Block the person from texting your phone. Your parents, teachers, principal and school counselor are all in a position to put a stop to the situation before it goes any further. Every school has a policy for dealing with bullying, and more and more schools have a specific plan for putting a stop to cyberbullying.

Other kids at the school may be experiencing cyberbullying, too. The school needs to be made aware of the problem to take steps to end it. Report the bully to your service providers and social media sites. Cyberbullying usually violates the terms of service laid out by social media sites, cell phone providers, and other service providers.

The provider may decide to penalize the bully or delete their account as a result of your report. Contact law enforcement for cases of severe bullying. In some cases "How to stop cyber bullying on social media" may be classified as a crime, which places it beyond the jurisdiction of schools and service providers. Threats of violence or death. Sexually explicit photos or descriptions of sex acts. If the images are of a minor, this may be considered child pornography.

Hateful texts or online messages that single out and harass the victim on the basis of race, gender, religion, or sexual identity. Avoid sharing sensitive personal information online.

Cyberbullies often use pictures, status updates, and personal information they find online to harass their targets. Information typed into a Facebook How to stop cyber bullying on social media, Tumblr post, or Instagram comment could land in the hands of a cyber bully.

Try not to discuss deeply personal information online.

Guidance for parents and young...

Ask them to stop, and let them know that cyberbullying has the same dangerous consequences as in-person bullying does. Install parental control software or apps on your PC and smartphone.

This software or app will block attempts at bullying and keep your child from seeing inappropriate online content. What if the bully doesn't come right out and threaten your child but tells the child to kill herself instead? You should remove your child from all sources of social media if bullying takes on this proportion.

Also, consider contacting the police if a threat to your child's life is made.

1). Tell Someone

There are also additional resources online for families about cyberbullying. It is always better to react rather than under-react with respect to serious cyber-bullying. Not Helpful 5 Helpful This may not be possible, and probably shouldn't be your top goal. Instead, just ignore the bully.

There is a need for...

Once they see that they can't get a rise out of you, they are likely to stop harassing you. Not Helpful 3 Helpful I am constantly being kicked from groups by a person. I tell him to stop but he just find excuses for it. He is strong and sometimes violent so I don't dare talk about it in school. What can I do? You may need to talk to a school administrator or teacher. Tell someone you trust that you're being bullied online.

Or, depending on the type of online group you're being kicked out of, you could also join groups where this individual doesn't have the power to kick you out.

I have no proof of bullying, How to stop cyber bullying on social media a friend telling me she heard about it. It's the end of the year, and I don't want attention elsewhere than my studies. What do I do?

The best bet is to ignore rumors. If a bully is gossiping about you - online or in person - How to stop cyber bullying on social media the gossip will frustrate the bully in their attempts to get a rise out of you. Hopefully, this will put an end to the bullying. Not Helpful 4 Helpful 8. Try taking a break from the game for awhile, maybe 1 or 2 weeks.

Then, see if you can play on a different server or with a different group of people. Not Helpful 6 Helpful 9. What do you do if no matter what you do to stop bullying it never works? Talk to your parents or, if you're being bullied at school, a teacher, counselor, or administrator. If the situation is out of your control, an adult can help you put a stop to the bullying.

Not Helpful 5 Helpful 8. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Already answered Not a question Bad question Other. Tips Keep in mind there may not always be a straightforward reason for cyberbullying.

Sometimes people lash out on others because of their own insecurities. In any case, it is not your fault. Many cases of cyberbullying involve former significant others trying to get revenge on their exes by distributing explicit pictures. Never distribute photos or videos of anyone that could be considered explicit, humiliating or could somehow be used against the person.

Article Summary X To stop cyberbullying, take immediate action by blocking the bully on all online platforms so they can't communicate with you directly anymore. Digital media and apps allow children to communicate and express their creativity, However, they can be an avenue through which cyberbullying occurs. There are things adults can do to prevent cyberbullying of children who are gaming.

There is a need for intervention studies, prevention and restorative practices that Cyberbullying, peer violence in virtual settings, is another type of bullying that has been study for over four decades and is widely reported by social media. This is the first part of a two-part series on how design can help bystanders stop cyberbullying. You can find Part 2 here. Smartphones and.